Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(Hanoi - 25 July, 2001)
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The Eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-8) was held in Ha Noi, Vietnam, on 25 July 2001, and was chaired by H.E. Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. In conclusion, the Meeting endorsed the ARF-8 Chairman's Statement. Hereunder are excerpts of the document :

Overview of the ARF Process

- The Ministers recognised that the ARF process continued to make progress and play an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, particularly in enhancing and promoting dialogue and co-operation on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

- The Ministers acknowledged the contributions of the ARF to the regional peace and stability and emphasised that confidence-building is of essential importance to and remains the foundation and main thrust of the whole ARF process. They agreed that this process be further strengthened and more confidence building measures be encouraged.

- The Ministers reaffirmed that the ARF will continue to develop at a pace comfortable to all ARF participants and emphasised the importance of ARF making decision by consensus and on the basis of non-interference into one another's internal affairs. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that the ASEAN continued to play its leading role in the ARF and expressed their support for this continued role in the ARF process.

- The Ministers expressed their appreciation to Viet Nam who, as the ARF Chair, had continued and expanded informal contacts with other international and regional organisations, particularly with the United Nations, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Non-Aligned Movement. They acknowledged with satisfaction that the ARF Chair had been successful in serving as a conduit for information sharing in between ARF meetings, thus enabling the ARF participants to exchange information relevant to the ARF in a timely manner and on a voluntary basis.

- The Ministers agreed to adopt the Paper on the Enhanced Role of ARF Chair; the Paper on the Terms of Reference for ARF Experts/Eminent Persons; and the Paper on the Concept and Principles of Preventive Diplomacy (PD) as a snapshot of the state of current discussion on PD in ARF.
Highlights of Issues Discussed

- The Ministers had in-depth and extensive discussions on the political and security situation in the Asia-Pacific since the Seventh ARF in July 2000, particularly on the major developments that affect the regional security environment.

- The Ministers shared the views that on the whole, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region remained relatively stable. They acknowledged the importance of peaceful and stable relations between major powers as key to regional peace and security, and believed that the major powers would continue their efforts to improve and develop their relations so as to contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

- The Ministers appreciated the recent positive development of overall situation on the Korean Peninsula, following the North-South Summit on June 15, 2000 in Pyongyang, and the active participation by the DPRK in ARF activities in the last year. The Ministers welcomed the progress in the consultations between ASEAN and China to develop a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

- The Ministers noted the significance of the 4th ASEAN Informal Summit (AIS) held in Singapore in November 2000, where the ASEAN leaders agreed to push forward proposals that would enable closer integration and help reduce the development gap within ASEAN, and the ASEAN leaders and the leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea decided to start moving towards closer East Asia co-operation within the ASEAN+3 framework.

- The Ministers recognised the purposes and principles contained in the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia (TAC) as a basis for the promotion of co-operation, amity and friendship within Southeast Asia and between ASEAN and ASEAN's Dialogue Partners and other ARF participants. They welcomed the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the High Council of TAC by the ASEAN member countries at the 34th AMM in July 2001 in Ha Noi. They noted the consideration by non-Southeast Asian countries to accede to the TAC with a view to developing the TAC into a code of conduct governing relations between Southeast Asian States and those outside the region.

- The Ministers reviewed the progress regarding the implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ). They welcomed the recent Direct Dialogue between the State Parties and the Nuclear Weapon States held in Ha Noi in May 2001, considering this a significant step towards the accession of the Nuclear Weapon States to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty.

Track I and II Activities

- The Ministers noted with satisfaction the successful implementation of Track I and II activities during the 2000-2001 inter-sessional year. They noted in particular the Co-Chairmen's Summary Report of the Meetings of the ARF Inter-sessional Support Group on Confidence-Building Measures (ISG on CBMs) held in Seoul 1-3 November 2000 and in Kuala Lumpur 18-20 April 2001.

- The Ministers agreed that the ISG on CBMs continue their work and welcomed the offers by Viet Nam and the Republic of India to co-chair the ISG on CBMs in the next inter-sessional year.

Future Direction of the ARF Process

- The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further develop the ARF as an effective forum for dialogue and co-operation on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region and agreed that the ARF continues to move at a pace comfortable to all ARF participants and on the basis of consensus. They expressed their continued support for ASEAN's role as the driving force in the ARF process.

- The Ministers emphasised the importance of confidence-building as the foundation and the primary focus of the whole ARF process. They also agreed that while moving towards PD, the ARF should continue to strengthen its confidence-building process so as to substantially enhance mutual trust, confidence and understanding as well as co-operation among the ARF participants. They concurred that these efforts would lay a firm ground for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific as well as for the next stages of the ARF.